She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…

Marauder's Phase

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

At Diagon Alley

I was in a coma in St. Mungo's for six weeks. I couldn't believe it when I woke up and Maggie, who looked like she hadn't slept a wink in a month and two weeks, told me, and I thought I had lost six entire weeks of my life, and I was very upset about this.

But, I'd had severe internal injuries, and I was lucky to be alive. I felt terrible – because of my rash and reckless action, I'd put so many people in danger. Tonks and her parents, Remus…

It was horrible, and I didn't know what to say. I couldn't tell my friends that I believed the Death Eaters were watching me, because they weren't allowed in.

The first I saw of them was when Maggie was leading me out of St. Mungo's.

My arms were in bandages, and there were bandages around my chest – whatever Fenrir had done to me, he'd done a good job of it, because the doctors had been saying they had had trouble healing me.

Maggie and I walked out onto the street, and toward the car.

"I feel like a mummy." I complained.

Maggie hugged me around the shoulder. "Just be thankful you're still alive." She told me.

"Oh, I am." I assured her. "But people are staring at me…"

The doctors had stared at me too, like they didn't believe the story I'd fed them about not remembering what had happened. Well, it had been sort of true – it was a very hazy memory, I didn't want to remember it…

Maggie and I went to the Leaky Cauldron, where she said 'everyone else' was waiting for me.

'Everyone else' turned out to be Reginald, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily, and all of them jumped up when I came in.

"Emma!" Sirius fairly yelled, and everyone in the pub turned to stare at him as he came toward me, his eyes stunned. "Emma…what…what happened..?" And then he flung his arms around me. "I have never been so scared!" He said, almost angrily, and I felt tears sting my eyes. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" I never thought I'd hear him say something like that...

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean to make you worry…I didn't know…he was there…they're watching me Siri…"

"What?" He whispered, drawing back slightly, so that we were face-to-face, eye-to-eye.

"The Death Eaters knew I'd be there." I whispered. "I heard Fenrir Greyback say it…he tried to kill Tonks, but I saved her…he attacked me instead…not her…"

"Oh God…" Sirius said and, as if he could understand how much it had hurt me to do so, no matter what, he wrapped his arms around me again.

I closed my eyes, and wished I could go back in time but, of course, I couldn't.

***

The Marauders, Lily and I were sitting at Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour, after having down our back-to-school shopping. They had filled me in on what little I had missed in my month and a half in the hospital, and I had told them everything I had realised during the werewolf's attack (without mentioning my Animagus to Lily).

"W-werewolves are extremely d-dangerous!" Peter squeaked, and I kicked him under the table because Remus looked stricken.

"Not all of them," Lily argued. "It depends on the person now, doesn't it?"

Remus and I both gave her incredibly grateful looks. Lily may not know Remus was a werewolf now, but one day she would. I smiled at my mint choc-chip ice cream.

"The question is," James said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "What do we do now?" We all looked at him. "I mean, why do the Death Eaters want Emma so badly?"

I fidgeted uncomfortably underneath the table, which wasn't easy because Sirius and I were holding hands under the table. I thought I might knew the reason, and wanted to scream it out: I'M FROM ANOTHER WORLD!!

What I did say was: "I hate the Dark Arts…I hate almost all those associated with them…I hate Death Eaters…I hate Voldemort…" My voice shook.

"Well…good," Remus said, looking a little surprised. "We'd be worried about you if you didn't."

I smiled at him. "You were worried anyway."

"Yes." He agreed.